Trump secretly flees Turkiye on military jet amid Iran assassination threat, Air Force One used as decoy

US President Donald Trump reportedly left Turkiye on a secret military flight after American officials received a credible threat of an Iranian assassination attempt. The extraordinary security operation was carried out during Trump’s visit to Ankara for a NATO summit and involved using a decoy Air Force One to conceal his actual movements.

Trump appeared to board the older Air Force One in front of television cameras after the NATO summit. However, he was subsequently moved away from the aircraft and secretly transferred to a smaller US military aircraft, according to the Washington Post.

The operation reportedly involved an airport catering truck, which was used to transport Trump from the vicinity of Air Force One to another aircraft without revealing his movements. The smaller military plane, a C-32A, then carried Trump to the United Kingdom. The decoy Air Force One later departed Türkiye with White House staff and members of the press who were apparently unaware that Trump was no longer aboard.

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Why Trump’s flight was kept secret

The operation was reportedly triggered by intelligence indicating a credible threat against Trump from Iran. The security concern came amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran and the continuing US-Iran conflict. The Washington Post reported that the threat prompted US officials to take extraordinary measures to prevent Trump's location and travel route from being tracked.

Trump had arrived in a new Qatar-gifted jet

Trump had travelled to Türkiye aboard a newly renovated Boeing 747-8 aircraft gifted to the United States by Qatar. The aircraft was being used as a potential replacement for the ageing presidential Air Force One fleet. However, concerns over the security of the Qatar-provided aircraft had already attracted attention. For his departure from Türkiye, Trump publicly indicated that he would use the older Air Force One aircraft instead.

According to reports, the older aircraft effectively served as a decoy while Trump was secretly moved to the smaller military aircraft. After reaching the UK, Trump was reunited with his official entourage and later continued his journey without publicly revealing the security operation.

White House Defends Security Measures

The White House has not publicly denied the reported aircraft switch. Instead, officials have stressed that the president's security remains the administration's top priority.

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White House communications director Steven Cheung said the administration would use all available tools to protect the president from potential threats. The White House has also maintained that the Qatar-provided aircraft meets the required security standards.

Iran-US Tensions Remain High

The revelation comes as tensions between the United States and Iran continue to dominate the geopolitical landscape. Recent developments have included disputes over the Strait of Hormuz, US military operations in the region and diplomatic efforts to prevent the conflict from escalating further.